I went on this tour around this time also. We didn't go into the square because they were filming when we were there. We stayed on the periphery and we could see the crew, cameras and even Christopher Lloyd. It was pretty cool.
Rick Eaton I went around the same time. Couldn’t get to the square because they were filming like you said. But it did make me excited for the movie. I’ve been there 1000’s of times then. I even have a few pics of me and my family standing at the courthouse.
I was there at the same time. they had rerouted the tram in many of the areas. we had to go around the outside of the courthouse square. they were actually filming at that moment so they didn't let us in. we did drive by the front of that archway as the tram exits at 4:00. to block the exit/entry they had several of the futuristic cars there. all of which we later got to see in the movie. we were told not to film or take pics but I took several.
Voodoo8648 Video Home System. It's a video format that was used throughout the 1970s through the 1990s. I would say about 2005 is when it officially became 'extinct' and Dvd had completely taken over. (Which ironically is being replaced by both Digital and Blu Ray.)
Francisco Argote Well I didn't say it was VHS per sey. (At least..I don't think I did in my original comment?) I was only explaining to them what it was.
@@plushiez_show8827 How about this reasoning for there's no "either" way of saying the date correctly? We didn't say one thousand nine hundred eighty nine. We said nineteen eighty nine. On that bases, the correct saying of the year is twenty fifteen
I worked at Universal in Security as a young guy in 1987 and drove a car around the lot and had keys to almost everything. I actually slept in Janet Leighs Psycho Motel Room once when they were shooting a sequel with Anthony Perkins and needed some of us to stay for overtime! I also used to get out of my car on weekends and walk the entire lot so I would know it well and would go on the sound stages, wardrobe etc.. I work in the industry now and was an actor and did some cool TV shows at one point. For some reason I've always loved being on a movie set and working in the entertainment industry..
Great story. I used to live in Studio City and had the opportunity to walk around the Universal backlot and others a few times. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like you, I always enjoyed those backlots and all the fake stuff.
I remember and still have the full page ad, saying: "Go Back To The Future. Right Now." They actually had trams going past 2015 Hill Valley, sometime around Dec. 1989.
Any time you watch a 1970s or 80s show, you’re watching videotape. The professionals either captured the shows direct to tape… or did final edits on tape .
After I filmed it, I brought it home and played it back for my college buddy. Social media in the 80’s. If someone told me then that it would be viewed 400,000 times, my mind would be blown.
@JustaWorkVan WELL we did have computers in 1989. I remember downloading the entire Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue as early as 1987 (after someone scanned & shared the paper copy) .
I was at the lot about the same time of filming and saw Christopher Lloyd walking to the set in full costume. I’ve got pics of the square and him waving to the tram. I had no idea they were making a part 2 of my favorite movie, let alone filming that day. One of the best days of my life.
Thank you for posting this. I tell people all the time about how this very same Universal Studios Hollywood tour, during that very same summer of 1989 when I was 8 years old, is what triggered my interest to watch the Back to the Future movie and eventually trilogy in the first place. I remember the tour guide asking everyone on the tour to be quite because the red light outside of another set was flashing. She told us that the studio was filming an episode of Charles in Charge. I can also recall the Jaws shark jumping out of the water right behind the Hill Valley set. It startled some of the tourist and caused them to accidentally throw their cups into the water. Memories Memories Memories!!
Before the internet was mainstream. Now a days, they would never allow the public to view movie sets while they were being filmed, due to spoilers. Movies are under such tight wrap now.
Unless it's a open to the public location, but usually in that case it's blocked off. :/ I remember my mom told me the freeway she normally takes for work got closed off as they were using a portion of it to shoot for a movie...don't remember which movie she said, but it's Southern California so...could be anything.
They were long past filming by August of 89. Well, they may have been filming for Part 3, but not at that location. Heck, I saw a test screening in early October (the only one I've ever been lucky enough to go to). Still a great time capsule there.
Seriously awesome footage and great quality for the late 80s. Must have been pretty cool getting to see a sneak peak of the Back to the Future part 2 set before the movie even came out
Where the hell did those 26 years go!!! I realise it's just a movie but it seems absurd now that the audience then believed we'd have flying cars by now.
We probably would have flying cars by now if it weren't for certain people who are overly concerned about safety regulations and some corporate/government corruption. If we had those kinds of people in power in the early 1900's, we wouldn't have cars either! "You mean we should just let average people drive hunks of metal around at over 30 mph!? No way!" We are living in very different times now where the freedoms and idea of self-responsibility is all but completely gone.
Well technically we do have "flying cars". Most of them are still in prototype stages but they use small propellers(usually 4 of them) to lift off and they are autonomous. In fact, they use them in Dubai right now.
Scrolled through to the comments to see if this was mentioned. I swear I’ve seen this film a million times, and never noticed the place until this tour tram video.
This is so cool. I was born in August 1989. Really cool to see the lot as it was then - little did I know that I'd be working back there 20 years later!
You are correct. I was the same age as Marty, so I identified with that character in the movie. There was only the first movie when I went on this tour, so it was very exciting for me, but not so much for the older generation on the ride. I would have loved to have jumped off the tram and wander.
I started hanging out at universal at this time,they offered a yearly pass for 12$ on top of a daylong admission.its sad that thing costs over 1000$.but it was back to the future that made me wanna come back.bet you I went once a week all summer
I made my one and only visit to Universal around this time, BTTF 2,3 was not out yet. I had not seen BTTF 1, but it got me thinking... I should check it out sometime. Finally wound up binge watching all 3 on VHS one weekend when 3 finally came out on VHS. I remember the "lake" in front of the courthouse had been drained (like above) and the person narrating stating that shooting had wrapped. It has become one of my favorite movies of all time. I enjoy watching BTTF 3 the most now. I wish I had taken some photos...
I took this tour back in 1987 and was able to see the Hill Valley setting from the first BTTF movie. Even took a picture with the DeLorean from the movie that was on display.
Back to the Future 1 Still remains my all-time No1, I watched it again a few days back. My partner says its always my go too movie, she is always really again lol
Great to stumble across this video!! Just remember, the Emerald City Comic-Con is hosting Michael J. Fox, Christpher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Tom Wilson for the 35th anniversary for the original Back To The Future in 2020. Tickets are still available for Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Will they livestream the panel somewhere/somewhen or...? Because I have no idea when this con is on and heck if I'm gonna be able to travel to America to meet them.
It’s amazing how they visioned what 2015 would look like in the 80’s.Even though were in 2021 still driving conventional cars on the road which still don’t fly.
HA! i was JUST thinking about that less than an hour ago! There IS a car though that can fly, but its not what we would imagine as a "flying car." really no more than a car that has to stop, drop out wings on the side-back of it, on actuators, then has to have enough clearance for the wings, and lift off LIKE a plane...REALLY, it IS a literal CarPlane, and is an AWESOME step IN that direction, but we're not quite there yet.... ....I said YET.............IF theres Time left......
@@davidtaylor9999 Heh, true. On a real note, if we thought drink driving and text driving are bad now, imagine drunk flying and text flying...... Anyone seen "Logan's run?" It'd be like that, but with flying vehicles (lolololz)
I worked at Universal in Security from 87 to 88 driving a car around the backlot.. I had a year of Self Tours and used to eat lunch a lot in the Courthouse Square area and at the Leave It To Beaver House up the hill. We had a lot of free time while we were working so I had a lot of fun as an Aspiring Actor foolin around at Universal, especially since I had the keys to about 60 Percent of everything on the lot!! Always good to see the backlot the way it was back then! Thanks for the vid..
NOW I need a time machine..... just to go back to when Universal Studios had this set, and I could go take that tour! Also, just live out the rest of my life, go back to 1989 onward, be able to enjoy the Back To The Future The Ride for as many times as I want, and buy and play all the SNES and Genesis video games that I care about before they become holy shit expensive collector's items.
65scribe absolutely! I spent a lot of time on the Universal lot as a child actor and a geeky tourist. That lot was in its prime during the late 80’s - 90’s, such a rad time to be alive in Hollywood. Thanks for sharing this video!!!
They also used that town set in the very first Twilight Zone. It's the episode called "Where is Everybody" from 1959. You get a chance to see what it really looked like in the 50's.
@@mainstreetbully6814 Universal is releasing a complete/official "Gray's Sports Almanac" with sports stats (including slamball!) on every page. It also comes with the blue sales receipt AND the lenticular bag from "Blast From The Past". Due out sometime in March and I cannot wait to read it!
I was there recently and it was pretty awesome to see the courthouse. The lady we were with essentially hyped up the fact that this was Hill Valley, but as soon as we pulled up I was like “HOLY SHIT IT’S HILL VALLEY!!!” Honestly it was the highlight of going there for me.
Fantastic! The narrator did a fantastic job. I was a mere 24 when this was filmed. No doubt the camera used to film this clip was a huge shoulder held Camcorder.
I was there in early Summer of '89, my last hurrah before I went into the Navy in July. I remember seeing the Back to the Future Set and the Dick Tracy Set. Also, at this time, I remember seeing the A-Team and Knight Rider Cars just randomly parked around the back lot, I think employees were just using them to get around the back lot, they weren't in very good condition, with primer spots and non matching wheels.
It got turned into a crappy kid theme park now : ( It would have been cool if they saved the Back to the Future 2 set for this year so we can be like Marty when he walked through 2015.
Alicia MacFarlane because its a working studio. It constantly altered to meet the needs of whatever project is being filmed at the time. Not many projects need a town meant to take place in the present but was designed and built 30 years ago. As the voice of the tram said, they reuse everything they possibly can though.
Wow!! This is so cool.. I’ve only ever been to universal studios once...that was July 1989. I only have photos from the universal studios tour,So this video brings back so many great memories. Thank you 😀
Crazy that they added a pontiac dealership... Pontiac closed in 2010 so that's another thing they got wrong... Pontiac wasn't around anymore in 2015. :/
Just a few years prior to this video, my cars were used in a few commercial shoots... it was a good gig... Had a agent for them and was very professional... Had acess to most of the backlot when I'd dropped off one of my cars and just stay for a day of shooting or 3 lol... Something about a studio and its twilight zone feels lol...☆☆☆
